Inching towards literacy in Madrid’s primary schools: a survey of school-wide projects

Abstract

Abstract Over the last decades, the term ‘literacy’ has extended far beyond its original reference to learning to read and write. However, few data are available about its actual application in schools across Europe. This article, which is part of a larger project, tries to identify the common trends and difficulties teachers face when dealing with literacy in the Madrid area, one of the more successful regions in education. After focusing on the unresolved difficulty of finding a Spanish equivalent to the term ‘literacy’, the article analyses the answers to 116 questionnaires by primary school teachers. Responses suggest a relative lack of interest in literacy projects, as few schools seem to be developing one. Analysis of the five projects that allowed a follow-up indicates a minority trend away from teaching about the language towards using it in meaningful contexts and across languages, but mostly without a clear idea of what literacy means. This is especially true for three projects, two of which are loosely based on neurolinguistics. The fourth project is in its initial stages, and only the fifth shows a promising understanding of literacy, using language as a tool to learn and think, and working across languages around themes and genres.